


A Solo Journey for an Introvert, Part 1

by ETNMystic



Series: Our Eternity Together [3]
Category: Escape the Night (Web Series)
Genre: HERE'S JOHNNY, Running Away, can you please leave me tf alone for once
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-21
Updated: 2019-10-02
Packaged: 2020-01-23 03:11:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18541105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ETNMystic/pseuds/ETNMystic
Summary: Seeking independence, Mystic decides to set off on her own, but can't seem to catch a fucking break.





	1. New Beginnings?

The forest was calm and serene; a nice change of atmosphere after all of that action. A calm, cool breeze blew through as I heard the pitter-patter of some rain. Perhaps this was where I could figure out these powers that that detox mix-up gave me. I decided first to do a bit of digging around. Looking in bushes, under rocks, scaling trees, if I could, anything that could help me. I tried to summon the same sensation that I'd felt when falling from that tower, only to find that going up was going to take longer to master than going down. 

Sighing, I looked under some more rocks and found small pebbles in the shape of teapots. I decided to use one to wish for a red pull string bag. It dissolved into dust as the bag appeared, and I placed the dust inside. Another wish was used for a treehouse and one appeared. 

I had heard legends of the Wish Blossom, days after Horace's death. I decided to search some more, and I found several of them. It was around nighttime by the time I was done. I was about to head to my tree when I heard a maniacal and insane laugh.

"Mystic!" it giggled in a sing-song voice.

Even through it, I could tell who it was. 

Safiya. 

"Shit, shit, shit."

There was a rustling in the bushes as I rushed to the retractable ladder that led up to my treehouse. I was about a third of the way up when a hand grasped my leg. Gasping, I looked down to see Safiya, her eyes blood red. But her skin wasn't paper-white, so I was confused. Had she contracted the infection?

"Come home, dear," she chuckled.  
"Come to mother!"

_Oh hell no!_

My heart pounded as some other shadows pawed at me. I didn't want to, but I knew what I had to do.

"Sorry, Saf," I replied.

I retracted my leg and let loose, kicking her in the face and sending her flying. The shadows became distracted helping Saf as I scurried up and retracted the ladder. By the time she'd recovered, I was already well inside.

"You can't hide up there forever, dearie," she laughed.  
"You'll come out, you'll have to come out eventually. And when you do, we'll be waiting for you!"

I was so distracted by her that I didn't notice someone sneak in and tap me on the shoulder. 

"Hey. I just need to ask you a few questions."


	2. A Creepy Interview

"Who the hell are you?" I whispered harshly over the cackle of Safiya.  
"And what the hell is going on with Saf?" 

She shrugged.

"I guess, she got obsessed."

"That quickly?"

"I dunno. Maybe this was a spell put on by the Cursed God."

"Probably."

"Anyway, can I just ask you some questions?"

"Uh, I guess?"

She became a cannon, firing away at me.

"What the heck's going on around here that keeps leaving us Otherworlders in the dark? Why do I look like this? Do you know how to fix this!? Where the heck is Envy!? What are you doing trying to get away from everybody who wants to help you!?"

It took me a moment to even process what she was saying, particularly because Safiya was now scratching at the bark of the tree. 

"Um, how about one question at a time?"

Alice sighed.

"Fine. Geez, you humans. First off, what the heck's going on around here that keeps leaving us Otherworlders in the dark?"

Otherworlders?

"I don't know."

"Why do I look like this?"

"I don't know."

"Do you know how to fix this!?"

"No, I don't! I don't even know what you want me to fix!"

"Where the heck is Envy!?"

"I DON'T KNOW!!!"

I was close to tears at this point. This not-Alice was firing so much that I didn't even know.

"Okay," she huffed.  
"You're bound to know this one. What are you doing trying to get away from everybody who wants to help you!?"

That question made me stoic. I took a deep breath and took in the serenity of the forest, save for Safiya laughing maniacally and scratching at the bark down below. 

"That's none of your business," I replied bitterly.

"Do you  _ **know**_ who I am? What I can  _ **do**_ to you?" she spat.

"If I knew the answer to that, I wouldn't have asked you when you scared the living daylights out of me! The only thing I can assume is that you're some sort of demon, and if you don't get the hell out of here, I'm gonna have to start praying to God!"

That scared her a little.

"But why are you running?"

"I told you. It's none of your fucking business! Now get the hell out of my house."

"Mystic---"

"FUCK OFF OR I'LL THROW YOU OUT MYSELF!"

I was infuriated at this point, having had enough of literally EVERYONE trying to keep tabs on me. It was what was driving Safiya insane. She decided to back up.

"We're not finished here, glasses girl," she hissed as she jumped from the window she came in.  
"I  _ **will**_ get those answers, one way or another!"

Heading into my bedroom, I covered my head with the pillow and screamed into my mattress. 


	3. Down Below

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saf is still nuts and Not-Alice gains an ally.

It'd been about ten minutes of Safiya laughing maniacally and scratching at the bark. Her hands were starting to bleed, but she didn't care. She had only one goal in mind; get Mystic and protect her at ALL COSTS.

"Saf!" Liza exclaimed as they sat at the base of the tree.  
"You've been at it for so long. You're gonna hurt yourself."

She tried to pull Safiya away, but Saf hissed at her like an angry mother cat. 

"Can we just go now?" Tana whined.

"No!" Saf snapped before returning to a chuckle.  
"Sweet and innocent Mystic is up there. I am NOT leaving without her, and neither are any of you!"

They all groaned when they suddenly heard a muffled scream, one that caused Safiya to gasp.

"She's in danger!" she howled scratching even faster at the bark.  
"My baby girl's in danger!"

While she was busy with that, Nikita had the others huddle around.

"Guys, I don't want to be  **that**  person, but I think Saf's........gone."

"What do you mean?" Andrea R. scoffed.  
"She's literally RIGHT THERE."

"No," Nikita clarified.  
"I meant, like, up here."

She pointed to her head.

"Oh. Yeah, definitely."

"So, should we maybe, uh, sneak out?"

"What are you guys talking about?" a voice laughed softly.

They all yelped when they saw Safiya who had taken a momentary break from her insanity to listen in.

"Uh, n...noth...nothing," Ro lied, feeling terrible. 

"Saf," Nikita sighed.  
"Honey, I don't wanna be  **that** person, but you're off your rocker."

"Me?" she panted, a crazed look in her eye.  
"What do you mean? I just want to protect her."

"Yes, but you're going too far," Ro agreed.  
"She's probably scared because you're scratching at that bark."

All of a sudden, a light went off in Saf's head.

"You're right," she chortled.  
"Why do all this manual work? There are tools for that. Stay here!"

She stumbled away, laughing madly. Suddenly a figure popped in.

"Finally!" Alice groaned.  
"I thought she'd never leave."

"Why are YOU still here?" Andrea spat.

"Chill out!" she answered.  
"I'm on your side. I wanna get Mystic back just as much as the rest of you, but she's not gonna say anything if I go back alone."

"Say anything?" Tana wondered.

"I need some answers from her, and I was thinking that she'd be more willing to open up if one of you were with me."

"I'll go," Ro shrugged.  
"She seems to have a bit of a soft-spot for me."

"Ro, you can't trust her!" Liza exclaimed.

"What do you mean? Of course I can."

"Finally!" Alice groaned in relief.  
"Someone believes in me."

"But how are we gonna get back up there?"

Alice darted around before motioning to Ro.

"Just follow me.”


	4. An Attempted Escape

After the Not-Alice left, and after me screaming, I suddenly felt the trunk stop shaking. Confused, I went over to a slightly-opened window and listened.

"Why do all this manual work? There are tools for that. Stay here!"

I then saw Safiya stumble off before the not-Alice jumped out of the bushes and I groaned as I closed the window that Not-Alice came in.

"If she thinks she's gonna try to get them to help get that answer out of me, she's out of her mind."

Shaking my head, I went back to bed.  (Oh goodness. I think Horace still has some influence over me!) I was hoping that Not-Alice wouldn't bother me anymore, but I had a feeling it was a fruitless venture.  Sure enough, about 5 to 10 minutes later, I heard a knock on the window.

"Mystic?" I heard Not-Alice ask.  
"Please let me in."

"I thought I told you to go away," I groaned.

"Yes, but then I decided I didn't want to."

"Doesn't change the fact that I'm not gonna let you in."

I heard her sigh.

"Such a shame. I thought you'd be as sweet as the Cursed God says you are. And I even brought a friend along. One of yours."

I rolled my eyes. Like I was gonna fall for that.

"Sure," I replied sarcastically.  
"Sure you did."

"Mystic?"

My stomach jumped as I heard her.

Shit.

"Ro?" I exclaimed.  
"How'd you get up here?"

"Alice helped me."

"See? I wasn't lying!" Not-Alice huffed.  
"NOW will you let us in?"

I weighed out my options, but for only a brief second.

"No!" I answered defiantly.  
"I told you the answer to that was none of your business."

Silence. I listened for anything, any sound, any movement, but I heard nothing. Sighing, I turned over in the bed and shut my eyes. 

A few minutes later, I heard the sound of glass shattering. I shot up in bed and froze. Quickly I rushed to the door to lock it, but I felt someone pushing against me.

"You can't win this, Mystic!" Not-Alice snapped.  
"You're gonna have to give me the answer sooner or later!"

Quickly I grabbed a nearby chair and propped it against the door, grabbed my bag of teastones, and headed over to the window by my bed. I prepared to jump from it when the chair fell away from the door. Immediately Ro grabbed the back of my shirt and pulled me back in.

"Nice work, Cinna-roll!" Not-Alice nodded with a triumphant smirk. 

She sat me down on my bed. I tried to yeet myself out of there, but Ro grabbed ahold of me again.

"Not this time," Not-Alice chuckled, shaking her head.  
"Now you're gonna have to answer to me; what are you doing trying to get away from everybody who wants to help you?"

"I told you that that was NONE of your business. Do you want me to start praying?"

I saw her flinch in fear.

"Where do you keep your duct tape?"

"Like I'm gonna tell you," I scoffed.  
"Besides, how are you gonna get me to answer if my mouth is taped shut?"

That caused her to freeze as she tried to work out the logic before finally groaning.

"Just tell us!"

"No."

"Why not?"

"BECAUSE IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!"

I grabbed the pillow and tried to put it over my head, when I heard maniacal laughter ascending. The door was open, so I had a clear view of the insanity that was coming in through the window.

"HEEEEERE'S SAFFY!”


	5. An Insane Bat Queen

Yup.

I don't know how, but Safiya had returned, crazier than ever, with----oh my God! She's got an axe. And looking WAY off of her rocker.

"My dear Mystic," she giggled in a creepy combination of endearment and insanity as her eye twitched.  
"It's been far too long. Come to momma. I'll keep you safe from all of this evil."

_ Um, yeah, I'm gonna go with hell no, you crazy-ass bat queen. I mean, Saf, I love you and all, but you're absolutely bonkers and you need to calm the FUCK down! _

Trembling I grabbed onto Ro when Not-Alice stepped in front of us.

_ What the hell are you thinking? _

"You wanna get to Mystic? You're gonna have to get through me!"

_ Not-Alice, you brave idiot! _

And that thought was with reason.

Safiya charged at Not-Alice with the axe, swinging it wildly with a laugh to match. Soon they were chasing each other all around, the axe even nearly hit me.

"Oh shit!" I nearly screamed.

"Language," Saf hissed at me.  
"Once I take you home, I'll MAKE SURE you never speak another hateful word! I have ways. I have waysssssssssssssssss!"

Needless to say, I decided to fuck this shit and get the hell outta there. 

"Bye, bitch!" I yelped as I jumped out the window and scaled the treehouse.

"Wait!" Not-Alice exclaimed.  
"What about me?"   


"Fuck you. You're on your own, demon!"

I saw her crawling behind me like a fucking spider, Ro in tow. Oh wait, there was Safiya behind her, using the axe to climb the treehouse.

"I'm not paying for that," I mumbled as I yeeted into a tree branch. 

At that moment, I remembered the bag in my hands. I pulled it open and took out a teastone.

"I wish Ro was back safe on the ground."

A golden glow, she disappeared, I let the dust drop into the bag before taking out another.

"I wish I was somewhere safe and far away."

And repeat, except this time, I was in a different forest. My conscience, however, got the better of me as I reluctantly pulled out a third stone. 

"I wish Not-Alice was safe as well," I groaned.

And repeat. 

"Geez, I need a fucking break," I sighed to myself as I set off to find shelter. 


End file.
